With germ and virus infections spreading through North Korea’s markets, shops and restaurants, the nation’s authorities have begun efforts to bring the situation under control.
A source in North Hamgyong Province told Daily NK on Friday that in accordance with a central government order, the province’s people’s committee has launched a sweeping inspection of sanitation measures at local markets, shops and restaurants.
The people’s committeeNorth Korean people's committees are akin to local governmen... More said activities to stop germs and viruses in the “necessities services network,” and at “foodstuff provision units” in particular, strengthens sanitation and quarantine efforts.
The committee reportedly ordered shops, restaurants and other businesses that distribute necessities to create sanitation and quarantine inspection diaries and ledgers to record sanitation conditions on a daily basis.
It also instructed provincial, city and county commerce departments to inspect compliance with sanitation and quarantine regulations twice or three times a week.
North Korea plans to carry out these inspections every year during the summer months of July and August. This year, the authorities have reportedly decided to carry out the inspections until ordered to do otherwise.
The North Hamgyong Province People’s Committee blamed the transportation of sugar, seasonings, oil and other foodstuffs to the province’s agricultural villages for worsening transmission of germs and viruses, and called for efforts to stamp out the spread of diseases.
The source said the people’s committee took sharpest aim at private merchants in markets failing to comply with sanitation regulations when packaging foodstuffs.
“The committee called on officials to uncover and punish those involved in selling unpackaged candy, snacks and taffy, or selling items packaged in an unsafe way, along with those selling noodles, rice cakes and other foods at home without permission from the people’s committee,” he said.
The source further reported that the committee called for free physical exams at provincial, city and county hospitals for the staff of state-sanctioned distribution workplaces, along with emphasis on maintaining a system in good working order that excludes, for the time being, individuals who have been confirmed free of infectious diseases.
The people’s committee also warned that workplaces or individuals who violate sanitation and quarantine regulations could be “mercilessly” subjected to fines or administrative orders to suspend service.
Accordingly, an inspection team formed by the provincial people’s committee is tightening the screws on the provincial, city and county distribution networks. This has local shops, restaurants and individual merchants irate, wondering if now — when making a living is so hard that they are on the verge of death — is really the time to nitpick over regulations.
